Critical thinking ..

Media​ ​Literacy

Using​ ​claims​ ​in​ ​the​ ​media​ ​as​ ​a​ ​source​ ​of​ ​information​ ​in​ ​necessary,​ ​but​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​analyze​ ​the message​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​determine​ ​if​ ​that​ ​information​ ​is​ ​true​ ​or​ ​the​ ​source​ ​is​ ​trustworthy.​ ​Your​ ​use​ ​of information​ ​from​ ​media​ ​and​ ​the​ ​level​ ​of​ ​confidence​ ​you​ ​have​ ​in​ ​it​ ​should​ ​be​ ​weighed​ ​by​ ​the quality​ ​of​ ​answers​ ​following​ ​from​ ​the​ ​questions​ ​below.​ ​Asking​ ​and​ ​answering​ ​these​ ​questions​ ​is equivalent​ ​to​ ​understanding​ ​and​ ​analyzing​ ​the​ ​message.​ ​Unless​ ​this​ ​is​ ​done,​ ​you​ ​are​ ​merely being​ ​passively​ ​affected​ ​by​ ​the​ ​message.​ ​Actively​ ​assessing​ ​the​ ​message​ ​requires​ ​this​ ​kind​ ​of investigation.​ ​Unless​ ​the​ ​answers​ ​to​ ​these​ ​questions​ ​are​ ​satisfactory,​ ​you​ ​are​ ​not​ ​justified​ ​in having​ ​confidence​ ​in​ ​the​ ​truth​ ​of​ ​the​ ​information​ ​presented​ ​by​ ​the​ ​message.​ ​All​ ​media​ ​should​ ​be interrogated​ ​by​ ​the​ ​first​ ​list​ ​of​ ​questions.​ ​The​ ​tactics​ ​of​ ​advertising​ ​media​ ​in​ ​particular​ ​can​ ​be illuminated​ ​with​ ​the​ ​second​ ​list,​ ​but​ ​the​ ​first​ ​list​ ​should​ ​be​ ​asked​ ​of​ ​advertising​ ​media​ ​primarily in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​assess​ ​it. To​ ​evaluate​ ​media​ ​in​ ​general:

● Who​ ​created​ ​the​ ​message? ● What​ ​is​ ​the​ ​purpose? ● What​ ​techniques​ ​are​ ​used​ ​to​ ​attract​ ​and​ ​hold​ ​viewer​ ​attention? ● What​ ​values​ ​and​ ​points​ ​of​ ​view​ ​are​ ​represented? ● What​ ​was​ ​your​ ​reaction? ● Is​ ​your​ ​interpretation​ ​reasonable? ● How​ ​might​ ​others​ ​interpret​ ​the​ ​message? ● Is​ ​it​ ​biased? ● Is​ ​it​ ​backed​ ​up​ ​by​ ​good​ ​reasoning​ ​and​ ​facts? ● What​ ​possible​ ​effects​ ​could​ ​this​ ​message​ ​have​ ​on​ ​individuals​ ​and​ ​society?

To​ ​evaluate​ ​advertising​ ​media​ ​in​ ​particular:

● Are​ ​scare​ ​tactics,​ ​appeal​ ​to​ ​force,​ ​or​ ​appeal​ ​to​ ​pity​ ​used? ● Is​ ​there​ ​any​ ​credible​ ​evidence​ ​offered​ ​for​ ​causal​ ​claims​ ​or​ ​implications? ● Does​ ​it​ ​play​ ​on​ ​tendency​ ​to​ ​give​ ​in​ ​to​ ​group​ ​pressure? ● Does​ ​it​ ​construct​ ​or​ ​play​ ​on​ ​desirable​ ​a​ ​lifestyle​ ​unrelated​ ​to​ ​product? ● Are​ ​there​ ​fallacies​ ​used? ● Does​ ​it​ ​employ​ ​emotive​ ​language,​ ​images,​ ​or​ ​euphemisms/dysphemisms? ● Is​ ​the​ ​grammar​ ​confusing​ ​or​ ​misleading ● Is​ ​the​ ​language​ ​vague,​ ​ambiguous,​ ​or​ ​obscure? ● Are​ ​the​ ​claims​ ​hyperbolic​ ​or​ ​exaggerated? ● Does​ ​it​ ​leave​ ​out​ ​information​ ​that​ ​one​ ​would​ ​need​ ​to​ ​make​ ​a​ ​reasonable​ ​decision? ● If​ ​it​ ​uses​ ​analogy,​ ​is​ ​the​ ​analogy​ ​relevant?